The U.S. Forest Service is distributing over $52 million to counties across the country to support local emergency services, schools and roads.
In central South Dakota, recipient counties include Corson ($920.89), Jackson ($3736.30), Jones ($963.18), Lyman ($2919.25), Stanley ($1709.70) and Ziebach ($3.51). Other South Dakota counties also receiving payments are Custer ($1782.95), Fall River ($8103.10), Pennington ($7053.80) and Perkins ($3673.94).
Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the dollars come from the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act and represent 25 percent of the revenue generated from management of federally administered grasslands in these communities. Funding was generated primarily from grazing revenues collected by the Forest Service and mineral development revenue collected by the Department of the Interior during the 2025 calendar year. He said the payments help ensure local communities share in the economic benefits from the land.
The Forest Service manages 20 national grasslands for multiple uses, including grazing, energy development and natural resource conservation. Federal grasslands in South Dakota are the Fort Pierre National Grassland, Buffalo Gap National Grassland, Wall Ranger District and the National Grasslands Visitor Center.
A complete list of recipients is available at https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/secure-rural-schools/bankhead-jones-payments.
To learn more about these payments to counties, visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/secure-rural-schools/bankhead-jones-payments.
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